DC Day Four

We slept in until 11:15 or so then decided to head to the Smithsonians.

We left Miss M at the hotel... she has been sick the whole time so far and it really caught up to her today. We checked in with her by text every so often and she was VERY glad to be resting.

We rode the Metro and walked through the sticky, muggy 91 degree heat to the Information center in the Smithsonian Castle where we had a quick $60 lunch!

Then we went and spent a couple of hours at the Air & Space museum.

These museums are free and crowded... but it is neat to see so many families enjoying time and learning together.

Definitely Jade & Deevs were the ones who enjoyed this museum most!

D was getting sicker and sicker by the minute and was barely hanging in there so he headed back to the room and to Miss M so they could rest & sleep.

Jade, Lando, Deevs and I hopped the Metro to Foggy Bottom. As soon as we got off we saw shuttles for the Kennedy Center. Without talking it over, we just hopped on it and went to the Kennedy Center.

We walked through it briefly then walked out side to figure out how to get to Georgetown. It so happened there was a taxi right outside.

We jumped in and were taken to the Georgetown water front. (On the way, we passed the Watergate office buildings.) There was a dock, right on the Potomac with yachts pulled up and a pretty big party/bar scene. Not knowing anything about Georgetown or what we were supposed to see or do, we ate there at a "green" restaurant with mediocre food. (Ask the boys about the double tongue pierced hairy arm-pitted hostess.)

After dinner, we got directions to "M Street". As we walked there we passed the canal that runs to Maryland and is a National park (where donkeys used to pull barges along the waterway). We walked and shopped and enjoyed the darling architecture.
It POURED rain for a while and we hid out in an Urban Outfitters. After the rain, we strolled down the street... we saw the Francis Scott Key "Star Spangled Banner" memorial park. And then we just hit a wall... the boys were all tired... they were ready to call it a night. We saw a city bus and hopped on. We rode it to the nearest Metro stop and caught the metro back to our stop.

St. John Vacation - Day 10

As I mentioned, we started the day with a flat tire (poor D).

We eventually got to leave the house and head to our daily Starfish Market trip 

where we bought our daily sandwich.  By the time we left it was raining and the skies were blanketed in thick, black clouds... not a very promising looking day for our last full day on St. John... BOO!

With the rain coming down fairly vigorously, we decided that our plans of basking in the glorious sun on a favorite beach was not in the cards right then.

So we took off down a new direction (more exploring) and decided 

to hike to Waterlemon Bay where Waterlemon Cay is (WaterLEMON, not melon and Cay is always pronounced "Key").

The hike was over a mile each way.

It was raining so we stripped down to just swimsuits... we didn't bring towels or chairs or anything... just snorkel gear and a couple bottles of water.

We hiked through the dripping greenery along the coast on a narrow trail at beach level.  It was actually a little chilly and VERY wet.

We met some people leaving and they said the snorkeling was good and worth it, so we were heartened.

We got in the water as soon as we got to the little sandy and rocky inlet.

Almost immediately, we saw a sea turtle munching on the sea grass.

We could get VERY close and watch him munch.  He seemed unperturbed by our presence.  Seeing him was GREAT!  He was the first sea turtle of the trip.

We also got to see a lot of great fish, as usual... but the other highlight was the sting ray.  Cool!

When we were done, we hiked back.

The rain had stopped by this point although it was still very gray and dark.

We went to Maho bay (with our good friends, the chickens) and spent the rest of the day there reading, napping, eating, filming, etc.

The sun peeked out in spurts - but it was never the glorious day we had hoped for.

(Although we DID we see two rays frolicking in the really shallow water of our bay right before we left.)

When the noseeums started biting, it was time to leave.

We popped by Starfish again on the way home and bought stuff for dinner (sometimes it is just too much work to go back out).

D has a meeting in town tonight.

I'll probably make dinner.

Tomorrow we pack up and leave here and head over to STT for the day.

St. John Vacation - Day 5

Woke up at 6:30.  

Worked for 2 hours (yep, gotta do that).  

Climbed back into bed next to sleeping Daddy (D) and went back to sleep for 2 hours.  (Hmmmm... nice!).  

We got up, had breakfast, packed lunch & grabbed a sandwich at Starfish then headed out in search of Jumbie beach.

Apparently, Jumbie means "Ghost".

We stayed for a while in this little Robinson Crusoe beach 

until the dark, foreboding clouds converged overhead and large water bullets pelted us from the sky.  

We saw it coming and were already high-tailing it up the small trail and wooden steps to the jeep.

We drove the winding roads in the downpour and got back to our lovely abode where we caught some darling Bananquits happily drinking the sugar water we had left out for them (finally!!!).

While waiting to see if it will clear up & we can head back out to the sandy shores, I now type and Daddy prepares lunch.

If it doesn't, perhaps we will watch a movie?

Later gators.

Day 4 Begins

Woke up to pouring rain and 45+ mosquito bites.

(Yes! I used repellant. Gallons! Even on my SHEETS, if you can believe it. 

D has NO BITES whatsoever.)

The rain stopped within minutes and now we have blue skies.

The itching still continues, however.

I WAS able to post some photos on facebook... if you have an account (or know someone who does), you can check them out.

We plan to go out Lameshur Bay & Salt Pond roads today...  a little explorin'.

We'll let you know how it goes.